Automatic roll winder



Feb. 7, 1961 E. J. JUSTUS ETAL AUTOMATIC ROLL WINDER Filed May 22 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ezzzfars EDGAR J. JUSTUS Feb. 7, 1961 E. J. JUSTUS ETAL AUTOMATIC ROLL WINDER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 22, 1958 Ezazzfars EDGAR J. JUSTUS GERALD W. KARR Feb. 7, 1961 E. J. JUSTUS ETAI.

AUTOMATIC ROLL WINDER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 22, 1958 Ezazzfczms EDGAR J. wsws GERALD W. KARR w AUTOMA'EIC ROLL wnsmma Edgar J. Jusius and Gerald W. Karr, Beloit, Wis., assignors to Belnit Iran Werks, Beloit, Wis. a corporation of Wisconsin Filed May 22, 1958, Sei. N0. 737,012

6 Claims. (CH. 242-64) The present invention relates to improvements in winding machines, and more particularly to an improved machine for automatically winding sequential rolls from a continuous supply web of material.

The present invention contemplates providing a carrier such as a rotating reel having a plurality of holding stations thereon for supporting individual cores on which a supply of web material is to be wound. Bach of the holding stations on the reel includes a pair of winding rolls radially spaced from the center of the reel with the holding stations being circumferentially spaced at equal distances so that indexing the reel will br.ng the holding stations sequentially into operating stations. The holding stations also include a movable rider roll which moves between a core receiving position and a core holding position wherein the core is caged between the rider roll and winding rolls. The winding rolls are continuously driven by an endless belt to rotate the cores. As the holding stations are moved by indexing of the reel, they are brought to a core delivery station having apparatus for delivering unwound cores to the holding stations, to a transfer station having means for supplying endless web and having means for cutting the web when a core becomes wound and starting the cut end or a new core, and to a winding and ejecting Station having means for finishing the winding of the core and for pushing the wound rolls from the holding stations.

An object f the invention is to provide an improved automatic roll winding machine well suited for winding rolls of paper or the like which is adapted to continuous high-speed winding operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved roll winding machine achieving a smooth transferral of cores to be wound, to the machine, and a smooth ejection cf the wound rolls from the machine.

Another object cf the invention is to provide an improved winding machine of an automatic nature which automatically accomplishes the receiving of unwouncl cores, starting a cut end of a web onto an unwound core, winding the core into a roll, cutting the web for starting a new roll, and ejecting the wound roll from the machine.

Other objects and advantages will become more apparent with the teachings of the principles of the invention in connection with the disclosure of the preferred embodiment thereof in the specification, claims and drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view illustrating one end of an automatic winding machine embodying the principles of the present invention with parts rernoved and arts broken away for purposes 0f illustration;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along line IIII of Figure l;

Figu re 3 is a front elevational view of the winding machine with parts broken away and removed for clarity; and,

Figure 4 is an end elevational view taken from the end of the machine opposite to that of Figure 1.

As shown on the drawings: As illustrated in Figures 1 and 4, an indexible reel 10 is provided for carrying the cores to be wound through a series of operational stations to complete the winding cf individual rolls. The reel i s provided with a series of holding stations 12, 14 and 16, which are spaced radially outwardly from the Center of the reel and are circumferentially spaced around the reel with the reel being provided with arms 18, 20 and 22.

As illustrated primarily in Figure l, each of the holding stations on the reel is identical in construction. The holding station 12 is provided with a pair of winding or supporting rolls 23 and 24 which are parallel and spaced to define a winding nest 26 therebetween. A core 28 which is to be wound with a supply of web materialis pusl1ed into the nest 26 in driven relation with the winding rolls 23 and 24 by a rider roll 30. The rider roll 30 is supported on its ends by arms 32, 32 which are mounted 011 a pivotal shaft 34 to move the rider roll 30 between a core receivir1g position as shown in Figure l, and a core winding position wherein the core is held in the nest, as illustrated at the holding stations 14 and 16. The rider roll 30 is moved in its path to cage the core 28 in the winding nest 26 by a cylinder 36carrying a piston therein, which has a piston rod 38 secured by a conneotor 40 t0 a crank arm 42 which is connected to the pivotal shaft 34. The cylinder 36 is provided with connections at each end, which are not shown, for admitting or releasing pressurized fluid to the encls and coutrolling the position of the rider roll 30.

The cylinder 36 is mounted 011 an arm 44 which projects radially outwardly from a hub 46 mounted coaxial with a center supporting shaft 48 for the reel 10. Rails 50 and 50a are provided on each side of the machine to guide the core 28 as it is pushed toward the winding nest 26 by the rider roll 30.

Bach of the holding stations on the arms 18, 20 and 22 of the reel 10 are similarly constructed.

The arm 20 rotatably sup-ports a pair of winding or supporting rolls 52 and 54, which are parallel to each other and are driven in rotation to rc-tate a core 30 which is being wound in a winding nest 32, defined between the rolls 52 and 54. The core is held in the nest by a rider roll 56. The rider roll is supported on arms shown diagrammatically at 58 mounted on a pivotal shaft 60 and carrying a crank arm 62 which is operated by a cylinder 64 carrying a piston and having a piston rod connected to the crank 62. Certain of these parts are omitted for simplification of the drawings, and inasmuch as each holding station is identically constructed, reference may be made to the dilferent stations for various details. Cylinder 64 is carried on a radial arm 66 mounted on the hub 46.

The holding station 16 is also substantially identically constructed, and the reel arm 22 carries winding or supporting rolls 68 and 70 which define a winding nest 72 between them. A core 74, which is shown as having a roll of web material 76 wound thereon at the holding station 16, is held in the nest 72 by a rider roll 78. The rider roll is carried by arms 80 at its ends which are counected to a pivotal shaft 82 operated by a crank arm 84. The crank arm is powered by a cylinder 86 having a piston slidably mounted hterein wlth a piston rod 88 secured to the crank arm 84 by a connector 90. The cylinder is mounted 011 a radial arm 92 secured to the hub 46.

The holding stations 12, 14 and 16 are provided on the reel 10 and carried forwardly as the reel rotates or indexes in the direction of the arrow 93 to a series of operational stations 94, 96 and 98, arranged outwardly of the reel and provided with mechanism for coacting with the elements on the reel for winding rolls of web material.

Patented Feb. 7 196 The station 94 may be referred to asthe core ioading station, the station 96 as the transfer station, and the station 98 as the winding and ejecting station. At the core loading station 94 a magazine 100 is located carryfing a plurality cf fresh unwound cores 102, 104, 106 and 108. The magazine 100 is shown somewhat schematically as having vertical rails 110 and 112 for supporting the cores in stacked relation. At the lower end of the magazine is a core release rocker arm 114 which is pivoted at 116 and has pins 118 and 120 projecting into the path of the cores. The arm 114 is rocked by a solenoid 122, and When the solenoid is operated, the arm 114 will rock to draw the pin 118 cut of the path of the core 102 and the upper pin 120 will block the path of the next core 104. When the lower core 102 drops downwardly and CI6EIIS the pin 118, the rocker arm 114 will pivot back to the position shown, and the remainder of the stack will drop down with the lowermost core 104 being held by the pin 118.

- The magazine may be provided with additional extensionguide rails which direct the dropped core downwardly onto the reel 10.

As may be viewed in Figure 3, the reel inclucles the center shaft 48 which is provided with spiders 124 and 126 at each end with the spidcrs providing the arms for carrying the rolls. Thus, the spider 126 includes the arms 18, and 22 and the spider 124 is provided with similar arms which are spaced opposite the spider arms 126 for carrying the rolls in horizontal positions to extend across the machine.

As shown in Figure 2, the arm 18 of the reel has another arm 18a at the opposite side of the machine. The arm 18 has a rail 50 for supporting the core 28 and the arm 18a is provided with a similar rail 50a. These rails guide the core into the winding nest 26 when the rider roll 30 moves to the core holding position. When the core drops down from the magazine 100, it is gnided to the reels 50 and 50a. The core 28 is constructed with an annular groove 28a at one end to ride on the rail 50 and hold the core in an axially registered position. The core has a bearing 28b at the other end for supporting the core on the rail 50a. The groove 28a is formed in a rotatable bearing 280 so that the core can rotate freely as it is being wound. When the core reaches the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, the rider roll 30 is moved upwardly by action of the cylinder 36 to cage the core in the winding nest. At the transfer station, a supply strip of web material 132 from a parent roll or the like is fed to the wound on the core 76 which is down in a winding and ejector station 98, the web following the path 132a over rolls 52 and 54 and roll 68. When the roll 76 is complete the web is cut at the transfer station 96. A knife blade 134 is mounted on a blade support 136 carried on an arm shown schematically at 138 and pivotally mounted on a shaft 140. The blade 134 is moved to the dotted line position of'Figure 1 to cut the web 132 which laps the winding roll 52 and the winding roll 54 in its passage to the winding and ejet tion station 98. A pinch roll 142 mounted on a pivotal arm 144 and supported on a shaft 146 holds the web material in engagement with the winding roll 52.

After the web material 132 has been cut, the trailing end finishes winding on roll 76. The leading end Of the web is started on the new core 32. As soon as it is started, the reel 10 will be indexed to bring the started roll in holding station 14 down into the winding and ejecting station 98. The holding station 12 will be then brought into the transfer station 96.

' The rolls of each pair of supporting rolls are equidistant from the center of the reel so that at the winding and ejecting station 98, which is directly below the axis of the reel, the supporting rolls are horizontally opposed and substantially equally share the weight oli a heavy roll as it is being wound. The ejecting station is directly below ejector arm by a connector 160. The ejector roll will push the wound roll 76 ont of the nest 72 up over the winding roll 70 and onto ejector rails 162. The ejector rails are mounted on each of the arms of the reel at the ends of the rolls and have an upper hat surface 164 t0 smoo-thly receive and guide the wound core as it rolls cut of the winding machine onto an ejecting platform 166. The platform, as illustrated, per'mits the wound rolls to roll onto a conveyor 168. Bach of the holding stations on the reel are provided with similar ejector rails, and the station 12 has ejector rails and the holding station 14 has ejector rails 172.

When the web is cut at transfer station 96. the cut lead end of the web 132 will be caught between the pinch roll 142 and the winding roll 52. The knife holder 136 will move to the dotted line position and carry with it an air jet 148. The air jet carries the lead end of the web material into the gap between the winding rolls 52 and 54 and around the new core. If desired, means may be provided for wetting the core to aicl in starti ng the winding of the leacl end of the web.

The strip rides over the winding roll 52 and onto the core, with the core being driven by the rotation of the rolls S2and 54. The cylinder 64 resiliently holds the rider roll 56 against the core, and permits building up of material thereon. When several turns of the web are made about the core the spider 126 is again indexecl moving the startecl core in holding station 14 into the winding and ejecting station 98 and the roll continues to build to the desired size. This indcxing movement thus brings the core 28 into the position previously oceupied by core 30 in the transfer station 96. the oncoming web meanwhile following the path 132a of Figure 1.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the operation of the various elements may be accomplished in timed relationship by a main control mechanism which may operate control devices, such as switches. The coutrol mechanism may operate over a fixed time period o1 its operation may be initiated by mechanism which is responsive to the size of the roll wound 0n a core so that when a roll of the desired size is achieved, the reel is automatically indcxed. The reel will index automatically and operation of the machine will be continuous with the automatic winding of successive rolls of web material as long as the web material is supplied to the winding machine.

As illustrated particularly in Figures 3 and 4, the reel includes the shaft 48 which is mounted on end columns 174 and 176. At its end, the reel shaft 48 carries an indexing gear 178 driven by an indexing pinion 180 which is mounted on an outward shaft from a speed reduction unit 182 driven by an indexing motor 184 through the motor output shaft 186. The motor is energized intermittently to index the reel, or may be provided with clutch and brake mechanism for the indexing operation.

The winding rolls carried at the holding stations on the reel are driven by an endless belt 188. Sheaves are mounted at the ends of each of the shafts of the winding rolls to drivingly connect the belt to the rolls. This may be illustrated by the winding roll 68 in Figurc 3, and only one roll need be shown and deseribecl in detail, inasmuch as the construction of the other rolls is substantially identical. The winding roll 68 is mounted on a shaft' 68a rotatably supported at its ends in bearings 68cand 68d, which are respectively carried on arms 22a and 22 of the reel spiders 124 and 126. The shaft 68a has mounted 011 its end a pnlley or she'ave over which the drive bclt 188 ls threaded. The pulley may be connei:td direct- 1y to the shaft or in same instances, a clutch 192 may provide connection, and a brake 194a may be provided at the other end of the shaft for control of the shatt. The clutch and brake arrangement would permit stopping of the rolls, such as at the ejection station.

The driving belt 188 forms a loop betweeu each of the rolls for adjusting the tension and for increasing the surface contact between the belt and the sheaves for drivmg the rolls. Between the rolls 70 and 68, a tightening sheave 194 is provided mounted on a stub shaft 196 which is carried 011 a plate 198. The plate is provided with slots 200 and 202 through which pass bolts 204 and 206 damping the plate to the arm 22a of the reel. An adjusting holt 208 extends between a projection 210 on the plate 198 and a boss 212 on the arm for aiding in the adjustment of the take-up pulley 194.

The drive belt 188 also loops between rolls 52 and 54 to pass over a take-up pulley 214 mounted 0n an adjustable plate 216 which is of a construction similar to the plate 198 and has similar tension adjusting devices The drive belt 188 also loops between the rolls 23 and 24 and in this case passes over a drive sheave 218 mounted on one end of a spool 220 rotatably sup-ported 021 the reel shaft 48. The spool is driven by V-pulleys 222 driven by V-belts 224 which also pass over a drive V-pulley 226 on the drive shaft of a winding motor 228. This rnotor is operated constantly during operation of the winding mechanisxn to form a continuous drive source for the rolls.

In brief summary of operation, referring primarily to Figure 1, cores are dropped from the magazine 100 on to the rails 50 and 50a and are moved into a winding nest 26 by the rider roll 30. The core is then driven by winding rolls 23 and 24 and then indexed to the transfer station 96. At the transfer station a supply web 132 passes between pinch roll 142 and the winding roll 52 to be wound on the core 30. The roll which has started winding is carried downwardly to the winding and ejecting station 98. When the core is wound, the knife l32'slits the web. The cut lead end of the web is caught between the pinch roll and the next winding roll, and the air je: 148 starts the material on the next core. At the winding and ejecting station 98 the ejector roll 152 is carried upwardly to push the wound roll 01T of the winding rolls 68 and 70 to roll down rails 162 onto the platform 166. Bach time a roll is completed, the reel is automatically indexed to provide for complete automatic operation of the ma'chine.

T'nu's, it will be seen that we have provided an improved Winding' machine which meets the objectives and advantages hereinbefore set.forth. The Winding mchine provides improvernents over machines of the type'heretbfore used and obtains smooth transition between the stations, and provides for rapid automatic winding of rolls of web material.

We have, in the drawings and specification, presented a detailed disclosure of the preferred embodirnent of our invention, and it is to be understoocl that we do not intend to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but intend to cover all modifications, changes and alternative constructions and methods falling within the scope of the principles taught by our invention.

We claim as our invention:

1. A winding machine for automatically winding a supply web such as wrapping paper into successive heavy rolls comprising a rotatable reel having a plurality of radially disposed circurnferentially spaced inwardly facing holding stations thereon, pairs of supporting rolls defining said holding stations therebetween and mounted 011 fixed axes at each of the holding stations with each supporting roll of a pair substantially equidistant from the reel axis for supporting and rotating rolls of material, means for driving each of said supporting rolls, a single rider roll at each of said stations for caging the rolls of material and holding them outwardly against the SUPPOIting rolls and movable radlally inwardly to accommddzitd the build-up of material against the fixed supporting rolls, a core delivering station for delivering cores be wound into rolls of material, a transfer station for starting the end of web material on a fresh core, a winding and ejecting station at a l0sation where said supporting rolls are horizontally opposed and positioned directly below the reel axis so that the weight of a roll of material is fully supported and substantially equally shared by said supporting rolls, said reel being rotatable to move the supporting rolls succiessiVely to said delivering, transfer, and windlng and ejecting stations, and means for ejeeting rolls of material at said ejecting station by forcing the rolls of material out of the holding station over one of the supporting rolls.

2. A winding machine for automatically winding a supply web such as wrapping paper into successive heavy rolls eomprising a rotatable reel having a plurality of radially disposed circumferentially spaced inwardly facing holding sttions thereon, pairs of supporting rolls defining said holding stations therebetween and mounted on fixed axes at each 0f the holding stations with each supporting roll of a pair substantially equidistant from the reel axis for supporting and rotating rolls of material, an endless belt drivingly coupled to each of the supporting rolls on the reel for simultaneously driving all of the rolls at substantially the same speed, a single rider roll at each of said stations for caging the rolls of material and holding them outwardly against the supporting rolls and movable radially inwardly to accomrnodate the buildup of materialagainst the fixed supporting rolls, a core delivering station for delivering cores to be wound into rolls of material, a transfer station for starting the end 0f Web material on a fresh core, a winding and ejecting station at a location where said supporting rolls are horizontally opposed and positioned directly below the reel axis so that the weight of a roll cf material is fully supported and substantially equally shared by said supporting rolls, said reel being rotatable to move the supporting rolls successively to said delivering, transfer, and Winding and ejecting stations, and Ineans for ejecting, rolls of material at said ejecting station by forcing the rolls of material out of the holding station over one of the supporting rolls.

3. A winding machine for automatically Winding a supply web such as wrapping paper into successive heavy rolls comprising a rotatable reel having a plurality of radially disposed circum'ferentially spaced inwardly facing holding stations thereon, pairs of supporting rolls defining said holding stations therebetween and mounted 011 fixed axes at each of the holding stations with each supporting roll of a pair substantially equidistant from the reel axis for si1pporting and rotating rolls of material, means for driving each of said supporting rolls, a single rider roll at each of said stations for caging the rolls of material and holding them outwardly against the supporting rolls and movable radially inwardly to accommodate the build-up of material against the fixed supporting rolls, a core delivering station for delivering cores to be wound into rolls of materials, a transfer station for starting the end of Web material on a fresh core, a winding and ejecting station at a location where said supporting rolls are horizontally opposed and positioned directly below the reel axis so that the weight of a roll of material is fully supported and substantially equally shared by said supporting rolls, said reel being rotatable to move the supporting rolls successively to said delivering transfer, and winding and ejecting statons, an ejector mernber laterally engageable with a roll of material in said ejecting station for forcing a wound roll laterally over one of the supporting rolls, and rneans for moving said ejector member laterally into the ejecting station.

4. A winding machine for automatically winding a supply web such as wrapping paper into successive heavy rolls comprising a rotatable reel having a plurality of radially dlsposed eircumfereritially spaced inwardly facing holding stations thereon, pairs of supporting rolls defining said holding statiorrs therebetween and mounted on fixed axes at each cf the holding stations with each supporting roll cf a pair substantiallyequidlstant from tha real axis for suppo rting and rotating rolls of material, means for driving each of said supporting rolls, a Single rider roll at each of said stations for caging the rolls of material and holcling them outwardly against the supporting rolls and movable radially inwardly to accommodate the buildup of material against the fixed suppordng rolls, a core dalivering Station for delivering cores to be wound into rolls of material, a transfer station for start ing the and of web material on a fresh core, a winding and ejecting station at a location where said supporti ng rolls are horizontally opposed and positioned directly below tha real axis so that tha weight of a roll of material is fully supported and substantially equally shared by said supporti'ng rolls, said real baing rotatable to move the supporting rolls successively to said deliverlng, transfer, and winding and ajecting stations an arcuately shaped ejector arm at said ejecting station, means pivotally supporting the ejector arm, a freely rotatable ejector roll carrled on the free and of said ejector arm and rnovable in a path with pivotal movement of the ejactor arm laterally into the holding station on the real, and means for pivoting said ejector arm to force a wound roll of material out over one of the supporting rolls.

A winding machina for automatically wlnding a supply web such as wrapping paper irrte successive heavy rolls comprising a rotatabla real having a plurality of radially disposed eircurnferentlally spaced inwardly facing holding stations thereon, pairs of supporting rolls defining said holding stations therebetwaen and mounted on fixed axas at each cf the holding stations with each supporting roll of a pair substantially equidistant from the real axis for supporting and rotating rolls of material, means for driving eacl1 cf said supporting rolls in rotation including an endless driving member threaded over tha ends of each of said supporting rolls, a rotatable driving member having tha endless driving member thraaded thereover and mounted for rotation coaxlal With the real, means for driving said rotatable driving member '50 {hat the supportirrg rolls can continue to rotate independently of rotation of the real, said endless driving member extending outwardly batwaen the supporting rolls at one cf said holding stations, rotatable take-up members mounted inwardly cf the holding stations at each of the other holding stations and having the endless driving member thread ad thereover, means for adjusting tha radial position of said take-up members to tension the andless drilring mernber, a single rider roll at each of said stations for caging the rolls of material and holding them outwardly against the supporting rolls and movable radially inwardly to accommedate tha bulld-up cf material agalnst where said supporting rolls are horizontally opposed and positioned directly balow the real axis so that the weight of a roll of material is fully supportad and substantially equally shared by said supporting rolls, said real being rotatable to move the supporting rolls successively to said delivering, transfer, and wincling and ejecting stations, and means for ejecting rolls of material at said ejecting station by forcing the rolls of material out of the holding station over one of the supportidg rolls.

6. A winding machina for automatically winding a supply web auch s wrapping paper irrte successive heavy rolls comprising a rotatable real having a plurality of radlally disposad circumferentially spaced inwardly facing holding stations thereon, pairs cf supporting rolls clefining said holding stations therebetween and mounted on fixed axes at each of the holding stations with each supporting roll of a pal'r substantially equidistant from the real axis for supporting and rotating rolls cf material, driva sheaves mounted coaxially at the and of each of said supp orting rolls, clutch mearrs between each of said sheaves and said supporting rolls, an endless drive halt thraaded over said driva sheaves, brake means for each of said supporting rolls a single rider roll at each cf said stations for caging the rolls of material and holding them outwardly against the supporting rolls and movable radially inwardly to accornmoclate the build-up 01 matarial against the fixad supporting rolls, a core delivering station for delivering cores to be wound into rolls of material, a transfer station forstarting the and of web material on a fresh core, a winding and ejecting station at a location wlrere said supporting rolls are horizontally opposed and pnsitioned directly below the real axis so that the weight of a roll of material is fully supported zind substantially aqually shared by said supporting rolls, said real being rolatable to move the supporting rolls successively to said dclivering, transfer, and winding and ejecting stations, and means for ejecting rolls of material at said ejecting station by forcing the rolls of material out of the holding station over one of the supporting rolls.

Reference(lifed in the file or' (bis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1532753 Ions et a1. Apr. 7, 1925 1,852,827 Smith Apr. 5. 1932 2,155.43l Wieking Apr. 25. 1939 2,586,832 Kohler Feb. 26, l952 2,668675 Wolfe Feb. 9, 1954 2,730,508 Langbo Feb. 28, 1956 

